Chapter 61: Li Ruo's Reward

Ye Chen's maneuver had indeed stunned many, but this flashy move alone was not enough to secure victory. After overtaking the car in front, the trailing vehicles were still hot on his heels. All the cars participating in this race were top-tier, and the drivers were highly skilled. One kilometer later, a car in the middle attempted to imitate Ye Chen’s overtaking technique but failed disastrously.

With a thunderous crash, the car slammed violently into the side barrier at its absolute limit. It spun through the air several times before hitting the ground. Chaos erupted among the trailing cars—some drivers lost control and followed the same fate, while others crashed directly into the wreckage. Fortunately, the safety features of these vehicles were advanced; otherwise, such a collision would have been fatal.

After the mayhem subsided, only about ten cars remained, the initial chaos now a memory. The black Batmobile had vanished without a trace. Ye Chen was temporarily in second place, closely followed by a GTR. The two cars were locked in a fierce struggle.

“That was incredible! Absolutely amazing!” Li Ruo finally snapped out of her initial shock, clapping excitedly like a child. Ye Chen’s face showed no emotion; he glanced into the rearview mirror and decisively shifted up to seventh gear, increasing his speed yet again.

“Is he insane?” the GTR driver behind exclaimed. “There’s a series of sharp bends ahead! Is he really going to take those at 220 kilometers per hour?”

Seeing Ye Chen accelerate even further, the GTR driver had no intention of hurtling toward the cliff to his death. He quickly reduced his speed to under 200 kilometers per hour, while Ye Chen surged ahead—220, 230, 240…

“Ye Chen, there’s a bend coming up!” Li Ruo’s panic was immediate. This was the infamous “Death Bend” of Xiangming Mountain, where many cars had plunged off the edge. The traffic police had even placed a warning sign five hundred meters before the turn. Spotting the sign, Li Ruo’s anxiety spiked. She gripped the car’s handle for dear life, but Ye Chen showed no intention of slowing down; instead, he accelerated.

Holding his breath—five hundred meters… four hundred… three hundred…

The distance shrank rapidly at that breakneck speed. At one hundred meters, Ye Chen decisively released the accelerator and stomped hard on the brakes. The car shook violently. Thankfully, the 599’s performance was up to the task; with any ordinary car, they would have been airborne long ago. When the car was just ten meters from the bend, Ye Chen floored the accelerator again and dropped straight to third gear.

The car shuddered wildly. Li Ruo clearly felt a tremendous force shove her forward, the tires leaving a black streak across the asphalt. She watched Ye Chen’s series of actions in disbelief.

“How… how did you do that?” she stammered.

Li Ruo knew that downshifting from seventh to such a low gear at high speed was impossible—the gearbox and the car’s design wouldn’t allow it. Yet Ye Chen had done it, right before her eyes, dropping from seventh to third gear without hesitation.

With a screech, the car executed a stunning high-speed drift around the first bend. Ye Chen wasted no time shifting up to sixth gear, slamming the accelerator once more. No matter how robust the car, it could hardly withstand such abuse. A few more runs like this and it would be scrap. But to win the race, Li Ruo didn’t care. Watching Ye Chen push her car to its limits, she felt only excitement and curiosity at his remarkable skill.

Ye Chen, after clearing the first bend, repeatedly floored the gas, using high gears to keep the speed climbing—even in the turns, never letting up. Sweat streamed down his face as he pushed himself, not just to shake off the cars behind, but to close the gap with the black Batmobile ahead. On the straights, he couldn’t catch up; only in the bends could he narrow the distance.

Through a succession of bends, Ye Chen barreled through at nearly 200 kilometers per hour. After the first bend, the Batmobile’s taillights finally came into view.

“Wow! Catch up, Ye Chen! Hurry, catch up!” Li Ruo cheered.

Ye Chen’s lips curled into a dark smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch him for sure!”

“If you do, I’ll reward you with a kiss!” Li Ruo was so excited she took off her helmet, ignoring all safety concerns, her eyes glued to the Batmobile’s tail lights.

“Really? You’ll give me a kiss?” Ye Chen grinned.

“Of course! If you catch up and win back my V8 engine, I’ll give you a big kiss!” Li Ruo nodded eagerly, her playful eyes sparkling. Her dark irises were so black they looked like flawless gemstones.

Ye Chen swallowed hard, glancing at Li Ruo’s delicate face. “Alright, then I’ll go all out!”

No longer holding back, he floored the accelerator. To gain even the slightest advantage, Li Ruo had filled the Ferrari’s tank with aviation fuel. With Ye Chen’s heavy foot, a blue flame shot from the exhaust, as if a giant had slammed the car forward.

Roaring through the mountain valley, two top-tier sports cars raced along the winding roads. The other cars had long been left behind. In the black Batmobile, the girl in the passenger seat glanced in the rearview mirror and gasped, “Oh my god, someone’s catching up!”

“Shut up!” the man snapped. The Batmobile accelerated again, gliding ghost-like through the mountain road. Ye Chen’s car, though powerful, still lagged behind the heavily modified race car, struggling to keep up. Yet, from a certain perspective, Ye Chen was still biting down hard, refusing to let go. There were three consecutive bends on Xiangming Mountain; to overtake, he’d have to make his move on these turns.

As the second bend approached, the driver of the black Batmobile hesitated. Seeing Ye Chen’s relentless pursuit, he didn’t dare slow down, but the warning sign forced his hand. The girl beside him shrieked, “Is he insane? There’s a sheer drop ahead—one wrong move and it’s over!”

“If he wants to die, I don’t!” the man growled, decisively reducing speed to regain control after the turn.

One fast, one slow—the gap between the cars closed. The Batmobile drifted through the bend at 180 kilometers per hour, an impressive feat. But Ye Chen charged through at 200. His car shot out of the first bend, the next three turns looming. Li Ruo’s shrill screams nearly drowned out everything else.

She felt a thrill unlike anything she’d ever experienced—not a roller coaster, not bungee jumping, but the raw exhilaration of dancing on the edge of death. Every time it seemed the car would plunge off the cliff, Ye Chen steered them back from disaster.

“Overtake him, Ye Chen! Pass him!” Li Ruo shouted.

Ye Chen clung to the steering wheel with all his strength, arms aching, shoulders throbbing. The intense mental concentration made his head spin, but he forced himself to stay alert—one mistake, and they’d go over the edge.

With a final screech, Ye Chen nearly floored the accelerator coming out of the last bend. The car brushed past the Batmobile, their front ends grazing, sparks flying as metal scraped metal. Ye Chen saw the shock in his rival’s eyes, but didn’t hesitate—his car drifted cleanly through the final turn. Clutch in, shift up, and he stomped the gas. The speed leapt instantly.

“Unbelievable! The Ferrari 599 overtook the black Batmobile!” the spectators on the mountainside cried out in amazement. The news spread via radio to all corners. Li Ruo was stunned, listening to the broadcast and staring at Ye Chen in disbelief. He had overtaken the heavily modified F1 Batmobile on the second bend of Xiangming Mountain.

Unable to contain her excitement, Li Ruo exclaimed, “Ye Chen, you’re incredible! Absolutely incredible!”

“Hmph, it’s not over yet. Victory is only temporary. On the straights, we’re still at a disadvantage,” Ye Chen replied coolly. He kept his composure, refusing to be swept away by the cheers from the radio. He controlled his emotions, while Li Ruo was as giddy as a child with a new toy.

Behind them, the Batmobile’s driver sneered, “Think you can beat my Batmobile with a junk car? Dream on!”